Daisystarrr - To Kill Time

Overthinking is a sign that you do not trust Allah. As you learn to trust him, your mind will become calmer.

“If you’re happy in a dream…does that count? The happiness- does it count?”

-Arundhati Roy

Why your story sucks

Read this if you think your story sucks.

Here are the most common reasons why it might feel like things are falling flat in your novel, or just not working out the way you want them to.

You don’t have a clear message You don’t have a grasp on what your story question is and how you’re going to answer it, or what themes you’re exploring beyond the plot.

You’ve lost sight of your character motivations This happens often, to experienced writers too. Sometimes you’re just not thinking in a way that puts your character motivations in the top priorities - where they should always be.

You rushed in without a plot structure Being a discovery writer is all good and way, pantsing your way through a story can be done, but even so, you should at least have a vague idea of what your biggest plot points are, so you don’t completely lose the middle.

You’re obsessed with the plot On the other tip of the scale, you might be obsessing over following every little plot thread you’ve laid out, that writing just isn’t fun anymore, and your characters are doing things for the sake of following your plot.

You’re not taking time to discover your world Allowing yourself some creative freedom from time to time is a great way to spark innovative scenes in your novel. Explore what the world you created has to offer, and let your characters do their own thing once in a while.

Did you hear about my group coaching for writers? I’m teaming up with Novlr to bring you a 6-month program where you’ll learn all the elements of creative writing and work to complete your first draft!

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Some ideas for bad things that are white/light:

lightning, very hot fire

snow storms, ice, frost on crops

some types of fungus/mold

corpses, ghosts, bones, a diseased person

clothing, skin tone, hair, etc. of a bad person

fur, teeth, eyes of an attacking animal/monster

bleached out deserts, dead trees, lifeless places

poison

Some ideas for good things that are black/dark:

rich earth/soil

chocolate, truffles, wine, cooked meat

friendly animals/pets/creatures

a character’s favorite vehicle, technology, coat, etc.

a pleasant night

hair, skin tone, clothing, etc. of a good person

undisturbed water of a lake

the case/container of something important

valued wood, furniture, art

velvet

Think to burn, to infect, to bleach vs. to enrich, to protect, to be of substance.

i love it when there's little crossovers from the same author's other characters

the biggest compliment is finding yourself on a subliminal thumbnail

my toxic trait is that if I find a male lead accessible I will literally drop. like what happened to forbidden romance, leaping through coals of fire to get to your significant other? any other kind is just not as appealing to me

gotta be my fav part. a part of me is stolen and the rest is screaming "give it back give it back"

love the empty feeling that seizes my heart everytime i finish reading a book

lmaooo

When an English literature student goes through a heartbreak